GUWAHATI, Feb 1 � �The alarming proportion of increasing population of the State and decreasing number of Assamese people here indicates an uncertain future for the greater Assamese society. Some immediate steps to distinguish the people of the land from illegal migrants are the need of the hour, especially before the census in 2011.�
Highlighting the need to maintain a National Register of Citizens for the whole country, noted litt�rateur Harekrishna Deka stressed the need for serious thinking on the issues of illegal infiltration and migration in the State.
Speaking at a lecture programme organized on the occasion of the release of his book titled Prabrajan Aru Anuprabesh, he threw light on the historical aspects of migration and illegal infiltration. The book was released by distinguished litterateur Apurba Sarma.
�The issue of infiltration and migration cannot be dealt without looking at its historical aspects. After the Burmese invasion of Assam left the State sparsely populated, migration from East Bengal was encouraged in order to get the revenue to run the administration. Gradually, when the �two nations� theory propounded by the Muslim League started affecting Assam also, and even later, when migration increased and vote bank politics came into the picture, the situation started taking a different shape altogether.�
�In the later part of the 70�s the issues drew reactions from the local people, the Assam Movement started and the historic accord was signed. But unfortunately, the problem still persists, which points to the need for a different approach to find a suitable solution,� Deka further mentioned.
Senior journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap, while speaking at the programme, highlighted the problem of vanishing illegal immigrants on the State turf, a burning question, to which even the State government failed to give a satisfactory answer.
He further mentioned that unless concrete measures are taken and a distinctive line is drawn to identify illegal migrants; the doubtful citizens would continue to disappear here, leaving no whereabouts behind. On the issue of internal migration, he underlined the necessity of complete human resource planning so that the need of the State can be fulfilled from the available human resources.
�A study on how candidates of Bihar and West Bengal get passed and selected in the Railways examinations found out that those States have several exclusive coaching centres run by retired or working Railways personnel, who train the candidates accordingly. Here, we hardly have such facilities,� he mentioned.
Apurba Sarma, in his speech, praised the author for presenting his in-depth research work on a serious topic in a very lucid way.
